A new gourmet pizza and cocktail bar to open at Manchester Arndale’s Halle Place in just a couple of weeks time.
PizzaLuxe has decided to create “a new home in the North” after being an anchor tenant at the award-winning Leeds Trinity Kitchen since 2013, and has confirmed that it will be opening its flagship restaurant in the new £11 million food quarter of Manchester’s central shopping mall.
The ever-popular pizza operator aims to lead the way in day-to-night dining by serving up gourmet thin-crust pizza, aperitivo, and fresh salads alongside its made-to-order cocktail menu.
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Foodies familiar with PizzaLuxe will know that the brand doesn’t stick to the rules of conventional Neopolitan pizza and instead creates unique Roman-style recipes using a combination of both British and European premium produce that has been carefully sourced to “ensure consistent quality”.
Some of the pizzas to take your pick from on the menu in Manchester include the Palermo – with mushroom, oven-baked ham hock, parmesan and sage – the Lardo, with bacon, brie and baby spinach, Chorizo, with goats cheese, roasted grapes and honey, and the Pollo – with pesto chicken, black olives, artichoke heart and mushroom.
Vegetarian options include the Verdura, which comes with cherry tomato, asparagus, artichoke heart, red onion and black olive, and the Quattro Formaggi with mozzarella, gorgonzola, feta, halloumi and thyme.
Prices for pizzas will start at just £5.50 – with vegan and gluten free options available.
Credit: PizzaLuxe
If all of those options didn’t sound mouthwatering enough as it is, PizzaLuxe will also be serving Manchester’s first breakfast pizza – which includes toppings of sausage, bacon, egg, and PizzaLuxe’s own breakfast sauce.
The full breakfast menu will be available every weekend, and also includes baked-to-order breakfast rolls and bowls.
PizzaLuxe is aiming to be the first venue in the UK to combine a quick service restaurant element with a full-service bar serving a wide selection of beers on draught, a curated wine list and countless spirits, alongside a new menu of freshly-made cocktails.
Food and drinks at PizzaLuxe Manchester can be ordered through an innovative new procedure which lets you scan a QR code at your table, and then be automatically-notified via SMS once your order pizza is ready to collect from the counter.
On top of that, the new restaurant will also launch its coffee kiosk later this month.
‘Coffee + Cake’ will be open daily for passers-by, with a fixed price of £3 for barista coffee and homemade sweet treats.
Credit: PizzaLuxe
“Our aim has always been simple and still remains at the heart of what we do – affordable luxury, exclusively for all,” said Paul Goodale, founder of PizzaLuxe.
“We offer a contemporary, creative execution of simple, classic pizzas and cocktails in a stylish environment, served with a warmth and generosity of spirit.”
The new Manchester flagship site has been designed by Paul alongside Hudson Rock Design as a bright and airy space that features both counter seating to provide the perfect pit stop for a quick meal on the go, and an in-house bar area which will create the ideal backdrop to punters looking for a casual evening drink.
PizzaLuxe opens in Manchester Arndale’s Halle Centre on Monday 19 July, and you can find more information ahead of launch day here.
Featured Image – PizzaLuxe
Food & Drink
Historic Manchester pub issues apology for ’embarrassing’ toilets and asks for support
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s most iconic pubs, Mr Thomas’s Chop House, is finally undergoing a major upgrade after admitting its building has become an ’embarrassment’.
The historic Cross Street boozer has shared a public apology for the ‘deteriorating’ state of its stunning building.
Mr Thomas’s Chop House is now pleading for support from punters as it undergoes the weeks-long scheme of improvements.
Visitors will find a reduced menu while renovations are taking place.
The pub said that it’s aware that the Grade II-listed pub has been in need of improvement for a while, but explained these works have been hampered by leasing issues.
Mr Thomas’s Chop House explained that it’s been ‘existing on over 30 short-term lease extensions for 8 years while our landlords negotiated with the superior landlord’.
It’s left them unable to invest into the building – until now.
The pub will be adding brand-new toilets downstairs (they said the old ones were ‘an embarrassment’), as well as improving the kitchens and adding a new beer cellar.
In their statement, Mr Thomas’s Chop House said: “First of all, we owe you, our loyal customers, an apology.
Mr Thomas’s Chop House is undergoing a refurb
“Over the past few years bits of our stunning building have deteriorated. The toilets have become a bit of an embarrassment. We are sorry.
“The fact is, we (The Victorian Chop House Company) have been existing on over 30 short-term lease extensions for 8 years while our landlords negotiated with the superior landlord.
“As a result of this uncertainty we haven’t been able to invest into the fabric of the building.
“But now the wait is finally over. And together with our landlords we are finally beginning a scheme of renovations which will return Tom’s to the state it should be in!”
Work began last week and is expected to last for around three weeks.
They also wrote: “Things will be slightly different but we are so excited. Please help us stay afloat while we work to restore Tom’s.”
The brilliant Persian cafe in disguise as a greasy spoon that’s just had a star turn on TV
Daisy Jackson
A family-run, often-overlooked restaurant in Chorlton had a star turn on TV last night, when The Hotel Inspector paid a visit to the Chorlton Metro Cafe.
From the outside, this place looks very much like your run-of-the-mill greasy spoon, and it sort of is, with fry-ups and breakfast sandwiches up for grabs.
But beyond that, this is the spot to come for an authentic, hearty, home-cooked Persian food.
And it’s this strange dual identity that has caught the attention of Channel 5 this year, and given the business a full episode of The Hotel Inspector.
Alex Polizzi and her crew headed to Chorlton earlier this year to assist husband and wife Majid and Zahra in a rebrand to become The Persian Stop (the sign still hasn’t changed, but bear with them here).
During the episode, The Hotel Inspector tackled everything from a menu overhaul to a spruce-up of the restaurant’s frontage, and ran a cost evaluation, hoping to help Majid and Zahra to increase custom.
A full spread of the new Persian dishesMajid at Chorlton Metro Cafe with his new pancake dishFantastic pancakes at Chorlton Metro Cafe
And there were other familiar faces involved too – Channel 5 called on social media experts The Manc (oh wait, that’s us!) to help Majid understand the power of social media.
The couple moved to the UK from Iran more than 20 years ago, and Majid ran a successful construction business – until the financial crisis of 2008.
The pair then poured their life savings into the Metro Cafe, a greasy spoon just across the road from Chorlton tram stop.
Behind the scenes of The Hotel Inspector
They kept the full builder’s breakfasts and mugs of tea, but added a new string of Persian stews and fragrant rice dishes to the menu.
Now, with the help of The Hotel Inspector, the menu puts these ancient dishes front and centre.
Expect slices of syrupy baklava for only £2.80, and traditional stews like khoresh bademjan (slow-cooked aubergines with split peas and lamb) and khoresh fesenjan (saffron, ground walnut and pomegranate chicken).
This is a small business, run by a fantastic local couple, and one of those hidden gems that deserves to be a little less hidden.
Emily Sergeant -
2nd July 2021 
